Online training and streaming services took off in a big way in 2015 with services like Wello and FitnessGlo leading the way for other platforms to take centre stage. Not only will this trend continue into 2016 with more people realising the power of online training, but consumers will look to the internet for their supplements, fitness gear and much more.

2. Steady State Cardio Training Is Making A Come Back

Thought steady state cardio was dead? Think again! The last few years high intensity interval training (HIIT) has been popularized as the THE go to training style for maximum results in the shortest amount of time, but steady state (low intensity) cardio is making a come back. The thing with high intensity training is it can have a negative effect on many wishing to start their fitness journey and hoards of people give up almost instantly after attempting it due to it’s demanding nature. This causes many to then have a negative relationship with exercise.

HIIT has also been known to cause over-training and overuse injuries. Steady state cardio is a great way to introduce training, it can play an important role in stress relief, and can be used for long term programming with the prevention on injury and over training.

3. Recovery Becomes As Important As Training

Working out provides the stimulus required to improve and enhance our bodies, recovery ensures this stimulus is utilised and the intended goal achieved. Recovery plays a huge part in overall fitness and health and people have realised it is as equally as important as the actual exercise.

The fascination with supplementation and healthy eating will continue in 2016 with the diets like the Paleo diet continuing to gain advocates. Compression, cryotherapy and the understanding of various bodily functions such as sodium levels and heart rate variability are all things that will grow in 2016 where people strive to understand their bodies and how they can better exercise, recover and achieve their goals

4. Fitness Experiences, (Not Just Workouts) Will Become The Norm

People don’t just want workouts or classes anymore, they want experiences. Experiences give us a sense of reality and what it means to be alive. How we share these experiences with others on the same journey is also equally important. Boutique studios have thrived recently and will continue to do so because the amount of customization, and the experience they can offer their customers. It is that level of service and personalization which big gym chains can’t match.

Fitness events like Spartan Race and Dubai Desert Warrior Challenge will become more popular than ever as people seek that experience, sense of community and being part of something BIG that really matters!

5. Group Fitness Classes Will Start To Combine

The popularity of CrossFit and Cross Training has been it’s ability to offer a sense of community, but more importantly a variety of training styles in any given class. Standard spinning and HIIT can get stale after the first 50 classes and studios, consumers and fitness manufacturers alike have realised this. Studios will begin to adopt this trend of combining training styles and offer classes which combine training styles like boxing, weight training, olympic lifting, MMA, spinning etc. This will make for a far more combined, customized and enjoyable experience!

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Fitness fans have unforgettable day out at Spartan Race

Among the participants at Jebel Ali racecourse was Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, whose office was behind the successful organisation of the event.

The course created was not for the faint hearted, with Spartans racing to the finish line through mud, fire jumps, barbed wire trenches and an 8ft climbing wall.

For those who were not able to complete a station, a penalty of 30 burpees was handed out on the course throughout the day.

Jordi Hernandez, of the USA, got the better of Dubai’s Maria Jankowska in the female Elite Sprint Race, while the Super Race saw Amina Mhih, from Abu Dhabi, and Carolina Gutierrez, from Dubai, taking the top two spots.

Sergey Perelygin, of Russia, was the winner in male Elite Sprint Race, followed by Brakken Kraker, of the USA. Perelygin also won the Super Race ahead of Abu Dhabi’s Marco Becerra.